timesargus
MILWAUKEE (AP) — The World Series will feature a fresh matchup as the Milwaukee Brewers host the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1 on Friday night. Both teams are seeking their first championship, ensuring a new winner will be crowned. Jacob Misiorowski, the Brewers' hard-throwing right-hander, will take the mound, aiming to showcase his historic fastball on baseball's grandest stage.
Misiorowski, 24, has been a sensation in his first full major league season, setting a record for pitches thrown at 100 mph or higher. His 1,115 such pitches this year shattered the previous mark of 673 set by Jordan Hicks in 2018. His fastest pitch, clocked at 105.5 mph against the Chicago Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong on June 27, could break World Series velocity records. The current record for a Series starter is 101.1 mph by Noah Syndergaard in 2015, and the overall Series high is 103.2 mph by Aroldis Chapman in 2016.
Brewers manager Pat Murphy introduced Misiorowski to the media on Thursday with a lighthearted comparison to Forrest Gump, acknowledging the pitcher's rapid rise. Misiorowski himself admitted, "I'm still fresh to all of this and I have no idea what the hell is going on." Despite his inexperience, Misiorowski's impact has been undeniable, though he has yet to complete five innings in either of his first two postseason starts. Opponents have swung at 94 of his 182 postseason pitches, fouling off 51, which Murphy noted is an area teams are trying to exploit. "He hasn't been as crisp," Murphy said. "They're obviously looking at an area. They're trying to exploit everything. He's exposed, like all these guys get at some point."
The Rays will counter with Nick Martinez, a 36-year-old right-hander pitching for his fourth major league team. Martinez, nicknamed "El Presidente" by teammates, treated the team to dinner at a Milwaukee steakhouse on Wednesday, continuing his tradition of organizing team meals in every road city. "Getting the guys together is important," Martinez said. "Creating that off-the-field chemistry translates to on the field." Martinez's start allows Tampa Bay to give extra rest to Drew Rasmussen and Freddy Peralta for Games 2 and 3.
This World Series marks the first since 1980 between two teams seeking their first title, and the first ever with robot umpires. It could also be the first played entirely indoors and the first to feature a 104 mph pitch, thanks to Misiorowski. The Brewers are making their second Series appearance after a 44-year absence, a number that resonates with the legacy of Hank Aaron, who starred for the Milwaukee Braves and finished his career with the Brewers. Both teams have fallen short in previous Fall Classics: the Brewers lost to St. Louis in 1982, while the Rays lost to Philadelphia in 2008 and the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020.
In an era dominated by power hitting, both teams rely on a throwback style. Milwaukee scored a major league-low 32.1% of its runs on home runs, and Tampa Bay was second-lowest at 34.4%, per the Elias Sports Bureau. The Rays struck out the fewest times among all teams and led the American League with 45 sacrifice bunts, the most since 2015. "We love watching those guys cause chaos," Rays pitcher Steven Matz said of his team's bunters and speedsters. "Every time it's first and third and someone lays down a bunt, we are just dying laughing in the bullpen." Brewers captain Christian Yelich said the team has done a good job of being "kind of chameleons," adapting to different styles. Misiorowski added, "It's cool that you don't have to be the team to hit 170 home runs a game or whatever. You can win a baseball game so many different ways."
This Series also highlights a rare matchup of small-payroll teams. It is the first time since 1991 that both World Series participants are in the bottom half of payrolls: Milwaukee ranked 19th and Tampa Bay 25th as of Aug. 31. The Brewers, MLB's smallest market, could become the first small-market champion since Kansas City in 2015. To reach the Series, Milwaukee swept the deep-pocketed Dodgers in the NLCS, and Tampa Bay swept the New York Yankees in the ALDS. Yelich, the highest-paid player in the Series, ranked 44th overall in the majors on opening day, while Yandy Díaz, the Rays' top earner, ranked 154th.
Key Analysis
The introduction of the Automated Ball-Strike System has added a new layer to the postseason. Batters have succeeded on 63% of challenges (40 of 63), up from 49% in the regular season. Catchers' success rate is 58% (58 of 99), slightly down from 59%, while pitchers are 1 for 1. The overall challenge success rate is 60%, up from 54% in the regular season. Tampa Bay's batters have yet to make a postseason challenge, while Milwaukee's have won 4 of 7, including a perfect 2 for 2 by Jake Bauers. Brewers catcher William Contreras has won 60% (12 of 20) of his challenges, and Rays catcher Liam Hicks has won 67% (8 of 12).
Rest versus rust could be a factor: Milwaukee will have had seven days off before Game 1. Since the Wild Card Era began in 1995, teams with less rest are 15-15 in the World Series, but they are 12-4 since 2009. This trend suggests that the Rays, who had a shorter layoff, might have an edge in sharpness.
Originally reported by timesargus.